_*Economy #_Overview: A landlocked country, Malawi ranks among the world's least developed with a per capita GDP of $175. The economy is predominately agricultural and operates under a relatively free enterprise environment, with about 90% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for 40% of GDP and 90% of export revenues. After two years of weak performance, economic growth improved significantly in 1988-90 as a result of good weather and a broadly based economic adjustment effort by the government. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. The closure of traditional trade routes through Mozambique continues to be a constraint on the economy.
_#_GDP: $1.6 billion, per capita $175; growth rate 4.8% (1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.7% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $398 million; expenditures $510 million, including capital expenditures of $154 million (FY91 est.)
_#_Exports: $390 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities—tobacco, tea, sugar, coffee, peanuts;
partners—US, UK, Zambia, South Africa, FRG
_#_Imports: $560 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities—food, petroleum, semimanufactures, consumer goods, transportation equipment;